THE Philippine National Police (PNP) has recorded a 30 percent crime reduction for the first four months of 2026 following the implementation of the Safer Cities initiative as compared to the same period in 2024 and 2025.
In an interview with reporters, PNP Chief General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. attributed the decline to intensified police operations under the Safer Cities initiative, which aims to promote crime prevention and peace and order in the streets.
Nartatez also noted a 13 percent reduction on focus crimes in April 2026 as compared to the first three months of the year.
Focus crimes include murder, homicide, physical injury, rape, robbery, theft, and the carnapping of motor vehicles and motorcycles.
The top cop brushed off criticisms that communities even became chaotic following the launch of the Safer Cities initiative.
“Andiyan ‘yung mga pulis natin sa kalsada. Makikita natin ‘yung mga pulis and the public, sila na mismo ang lumalapit sa pulis such that ‘yung kanilang reklamo ay ating naasikaso,” said Nartatez.
(Our police are there on the roads. We can see both the police and the public, and people themselves are approaching the police so that their complaints can be attended to.)
“I don’t know the motive in these intrigues kung meron man but ako, it’s okay. The PNP is open and we are always ready to answer kung ano man ‘yung kanilang sinasabi. That is the essence of nararamdaman,” he added.
Meanwhile, in a bid to strengthen accountability in police operations, Nartatez said the PNP will soon be able to equip all frontline units with fool-proof body-worn cameras.
He said the PNP is preparing to receive around 17,000 units of body cameras from London worth P800 million intended for deployment under the Unified 911 emergency response system.
The equipment is expected to support real-time documentation of police response operations nationwide.
“The PNP is in the process of ensuring that all our units are equipped with body-worn cameras to guarantee transparency in all our operations,” Nartatez said.
“Transparency and accountability are integral part of our efforts to build a modern and professional police force that is fully trusted by the very people it vowed to serve and protect,” he added.
Nartatez emphasized that the cameras were not only tools for oversight but also safeguards for both the public and police personnel during operations.
The procurement forms part of a continuing modernization effort within the PNP, which includes the intended use of the devices in serving search warrants, arrest warrants, and other law enforcement actions.
Nartatez underscored that the deployment would be guided by strict rules on data privacy and operational standards to protect the rights of all parties involved in police operations.
“The PNP commits to maximizing the utilization of these body cameras, with strict adherence to data privacy and the organization’s standard operating procedures to protect the rights of individuals and police officers,” he said. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)